Activate JR Rail pass- Day 5KYOTO [ Departure track No.13 ] 7 AM HIROSHIMA [ Arrival track No.12 ] 9.10 AM- SHINKANSEN HIKARI 491Start/9:30am: Hiroshima Station- After arriving at Hiroshima Station, grab a map at the Tourist Information Center in the station and maybe a cup of coffee. Then, leave via the south exit and head to the street tram stop in front of the station (make sure you have some change to cover the Y160 fare). Take tram #2 or #6 and get off at Genbaku-domu-mae (A-Bomb Dome) about 10 minutes later.9:45am: Atomic Bomb Dome- You can easily see the famous Atomic Bomb Dome from where you get off the tram. Take some time to observe this sobering sight, then cross nearby Motoyasu-bashi Bridge across the Motoyasu-gawa River and enter the Peace Memorial Park.10:30am: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum- I suggest heading straight through the Peace Memorial Park to the Peace Memorial Museum because you want to get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds that descend on the museum as the day progresses. Allow about 90 minutes to explore the museum thoroughly.Return to Hiroshima Station- To reach the ferry port from Hiroshima Station, take the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi Station (25 minutes, 410 yen one way, covered by the Japan Rail Pass).Arrive Miyajima - Upon arrival on the island, it’s very easy to get oriented. Just walk south along the shoreline in the direction of the famous “floating shrine gate.” Walking from the pier, this means going to your right.12 PM : Itsukushima-jinja Shrine- Take some time to explore Itsukushima-jinja Shrine and pose for the obligatory photo of yourself with the floating shrine gate in the background.1:00Pm: Daisho-in Temple- From Itsukushima-jinja, it’s an easy 10-minute walk up to Daisho-in Temple. It’s clearly marked and you can usually just follow the crowds. Take a good hour to explore the temple.2 PM : Momiji-dani-koen Park- After lunch, follow the small Mitarai-gawa River up into Momiji-dani-koen Park. Mt. Misen via Miyajima Ropeway- Continue up the valley, following the river, to reach the base station of the Miyajima Ropeway. Take the gondola/cable car up to the top station, near the summit of Mt. Misen. Walk from the top station for about 30 minutes to reach the true summit and check out the temples, shrines and views there. From the Niomon Gate down to Daisho-in Temple takes about an hour.4pm: Finish in the village- If you walk down from Mt. Misen at a leisurely pace, you’ll be back in the village around 4pm. If you’re staying the night on Miyajima, return to your lodgings. Otherwise, head to the piers for a ferry back to the mainland (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park or Miyajima-guchi and on to Hiroshima).

Intense history: Hiroshima (1 day)
This city’s name is forever linked to the atomic bomb that hit it on August 6th, 1945. This is not bound to be an easy experience, but definitely visit the Peace Memorial Museum and walk out of there forever convinced of the necessity to eradicate nuclear weapons on a global scale.
Hiroshima is anything but a trapped in its tragic past though: it’s actually a city with a pretty chill vibe. Head to Okonomimura — 3 levels of small stalls serving the exact same thing — to taste the region’s signature dish, the okonomiyaki (sort of shredded cabbage pancake), then collapse in a food coma.
Cover yourself in as many layers as you can (the wind is freezing), and get up close with an active volcano! The fumes rising up from the pale green lake at the bottom of the Naka-dake volcano are toxic, which is why access to the park can be closed some days.
If you brought your hiking boots, cross the black sand desert and climb through the cold lava stones, marble-like rocks and bright orange summits to reach the top of Taka-dake — a hike you’ll never forget.

Find yourself pressed for time but still want to pay a visit to Busan? While not as popular to tourists as Seoul and Jeju island, Busan still has its own unique sights, such as the renowned Busan beaches and the seafood markets. Here's the essential classic itinerary on things to do in Busan, without missing any of Busan's famous attractions.

Day 11: Beautiful Sea and IslandsBesides the Busan City Tour Bus (BUTI), there is another tour bus company called Busan Jumbo Bus Tour. BUTI doesn't go to Taejongdae Park, so we had to take this hop on and hop off tour bus instead. It is a big red bus with an elephant mascot on it. It costs 15,000 won too, and starts at the same time and at the same bus stop as BUTI. You can also buy tickets for this tour when you board. My husband and I felt that this tour was more concise. BUTI was more value for money as the tour goes to many more places than the Jumbo Bus Tour for the same price. But the Jumbo Bus Tour just focused on the more interesting places.Huiyinyeol Culture Village is located just by the sea. It was so quaint and peaceful. We spent about half an hour walking around and admiring the views.

Day 9: Bus to BusanThere is no direct KTX from Jeonju to Busan. You'd have to take the KTX northwards to an interchange station almost halfway back to Seoul, then change trains and go down back south again to Busan. We figured taking a bus would be easier and we're glad we did. The bus was comfortable, fully reclinable, and it left on time. We bought the bus tickets at the Jeonju Express Bus Terminal. The buses came every 50 minutes starting from 6.40am. Bus schedule here.Busan felt like it was stuck in the 1990s, and lots of buildings looked like they needed a fresh coat of paint. But who cares about that when the views of the blue blue ocean were gorgeous, and the drives along the road so refreshing. I understand now why my Korean friend recommended getting around Busan via car. It helped that the weather was quite warm whilst we were here. We saw a lot of residential flats with logos and names of the big Korean conglomerates on them. They looked old though, but had amenities like restaurants and convenience stores.We took the Busan City Tour Bus, also known as BUTI (website here). For 15,000 won, we could hop on and off the bus visiting many places around Busan. You buy tickets for the bus when you board, and the starting point is at Busan Train Station. When you come out the main entrance of Busan Train Station, with your back towards the station, head left, and you'll see the tour bus stop. The first tour is at 9am, and subsequent buses come by every half an hour. Don't be late because the buses leave on time. You can get off at any stop you like, and just catch the next bus to continue your journey. We found this very convenient as the bus stopped right in front of the places we wanted to go to. Since Google Maps did not seem to work well for us in Korea, we didn't want to use it to get directions.What we liked a lot about the tour was that it brought us through the Busan Harbour Bridge, which was magnificent! It was built in 2014 and was quite thrilling to ride up. To get up the main part of the bridge, the highway makes a very sharp round turn. Imagine sitting on the top of a double decker bus and a single lane road goes around and upwards, and there's nothing at the side and just the sea below you.

Resting cozily between the Ishizuchi mountain range to the south and Takanawa Mountains to the north, Matsuyama is a perfect example of sleepy countryside city. If you are a hot spring enthusiast, Dōgo Onsen won’t disappoint you. This allegedly oldest public bath in Japan is a star attraction of the city. The highlight of the city lies in the literary chattels thanks to a native called Masaoka Shiki who is attributed with revitalizing Japanese poetry and modernizing its themes. The French inspired architecture of Bansuiso was constructed in Taishō Era in 1922. The once venue of many elite parties is now used as the Museum of Art's annex. The two floors proudly showcase ink paintings by Shiki, Sōseki, and other Ehime residents. Dōgo Kōen is an important part of Matsuyama's identity because it harbors the ruins of Yuzuki Castle. The 14 years of excavation over 30,000 square meter successfully retrieved castle, gardens, and residences.